1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to printed presentation graphics, and certain media by which these graphics are displayed.
2. Description of the Related Art
When making presentations in corporate meetings, sales meetings, organizational meetings, legal trials, conventions, exhibits, public hearings, classrooms and gatherings of various other audiences, presenters have customarily used visual aids to convey textual and graphic images. Different forms of display boards and paper pads are common examples of such aids. The use of these materials, however, has been constrained by the availability of manageable and convenient sizes of the media on which to display these graphics.
Accordingly, in one aspect the invention is directed to a kit for assembling at least two boards into a composite. The kit includes two bridging members, each having first and second coplanar securing surfaces, and a central surface. The central surface is parallel to, recessed from, and between the securing surfaces. An adhesive on the securing surfaces is provided for securing the bridging member to a back surface of an associated one of the boards so that the central surface is spaced apart from the back surface. The kit includes an elongate bar having a length, a width, and a thickness effective to permit the bar to be inserted between the central surface and the board back surface to engage the bar to the secured bridging member. When the two bridging members are so secured on the two boards and the bar so engaged to both bridging members, the bar tends to hold the two boards in a predetermined alignment.
In various preferred implementations, the kit may comprise exactly two such bars and four such bridging members. The bridging members may preferably each have a plate portion having first and second opposed surfaces and a plate thickness therebetween with an exposed central portion of the second surface defining the bridging member central surface. Each bridging member may preferably include first and second spacer portions, each having first and second opposed surfaces. The first surfaces of the first and second spacer portions may preferably be secured to the plate portion""s second surface. The spacer portions may preferably be spaced apart so that the second surfaces of the first and second spacer portions respectively define the first and second securing surfaces. Release material may preferably cover the adhesive on the first and second securing surfaces. The release material may preferably extend beyond an outboard edge of one of the spacer portions by a distance effective to permit gripping by a user""s fingers to remove the release material. The distance may preferably be at least 0.1 inch. The spacer portions may preferably each comprise a foam strip with the adhesive on one side and an additional adhesive on the opposite side securing the strip to the plate portion. The plate portion""s first surface may preferably bear graphics, optionally including text. The graphics may preferably be on labels applied to the plate portions or may preferably be printed directly on the plate portions. The plate portions may each comprise a layer of polyester film. The first and second securing surfaces may each have a length of 1.0-3.0 inches and a width of 0.5-1.5 inches. A channel bounded by the central surface and inboard sides of the first and second spacer portions may have a width of 0.1-1.0 inch. A thickness between the spacer portions"" first and second opposed surfaces may preferably be 0.075-0.15 inch. The elongate bar may comprise coated steel having width and thickness both about xe2x85x9 of an inch.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a single module for assembling a composite graphic image-bearing assembly. The module includes a graphic display board having front and back surfaces with a board thickness therebetween, first and second parallel perimeter edges with a board width therebetween, and third and fourth parallel perimeter edges with a board height therebetween. A plurality of bridge members are secured to the graphic display board back surface. Each bridge member includes a pair of spacer portions having first surfaces facing and secured to the board back surface and a plate portion bridging the spacer portions and defining a channel between the spacer portions.
In preferred implementations of this module aspect of the invention, the graphic display board may include a foam layer. The thickness may preferably be {fraction (3/16)} of an inch, the width about 20 inches, and the height about 30 inches. There may preferably be exactly four bridging members. Each such bridging member may preferably be centered along an associated one of the board perimeter edges and recessed therefrom by an associated offset. The module may be a first module in combination with a second module wherein the offsets of the first module and second module are effective to permit back-to-back nesting of the modules with their boards aligned with each other but their bridging members aside each other so that the bridging members of each board contact the back of the other board. The offsets further permit edge-to-edge assembly of the modules with a connecting bar extending through a channel of the first module and a channel of the second module. The module combination may preferably include a plurality of additional modules assembled in a rectangular edge-to-edge array. Along adjacent edges of any given two adjacent modules in the array, a connecting bar may preferably span the border between such adjacent modules and extend within the bridging member channel associated with each of the adjacent edges. The board front surfaces of each module may preferably be substantially coplanar and each may preferably bear a graphical image portion, the graphical image portions combined to form a single continuous graphical image over the array.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a composite board system kit including a carrying case including a carrying handle for gripping by a user and at least one interior compartment containing at least four modules, at least four compatible connecting bars, computer-readable media containing image-tiling software for producing tiled images, and a spray adhesive for securing printouts of the images to the boards of the modules.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a method for assembling a composite board. A plurality of boards are provided having generally rectangular planar front and back surfaces and having four perimeter edges. An associated graphical image portion is applied to front surface of each board. The boards are assembled edge-to-edge to form an array of the boards, the graphical image portions combining to form a single continuous graphical image over the array.
In various preferred implementations of this process aspect of invention, the step of applying may be preceded by or may include providing a digitally-stored graphical image, causing a computer to divide the digitally-stored graphical image into image subportions, a plurality of such image subportions associated with each such board, causing a printer to print the image portions on printable media, and securing the printed media associated with each board to such board so as to form the associated image portion from the associated image subportions, the image portion being substantially continuous across boundaries between the subportions. The step of assembling may be preceded by or may include providing a plurality of bridging members, securing at least two bridging members to the back surface of each board, providing a plurality of elongate bars, and inserting each bar between a bridge central surface and a board back surface of two adjacent bridging members so as to hold the two adjacent boards in a predetermined alignment.